HortBotany
Lesson Plan 1
History and Branches of Botany & Horticulture
Botany defined: the study of plants and all facets of their structure and
behavior. Botany is a pure science in the same respect chemistry,
physics, and biology are pure sciences.
Important names in the history of Botany:
1) Theophrastus (370-285 B.C.)
a) Greek student of Aristotle.
b) In his book, Historia Plantarium, he categorized 480 plants
on the basis of their structure and medicinal value. Today
almost 500,000 species of plants are known and the number
is increasing.
2) Linnaeus
a) Swedish scientist.
b) Published Species Plantarium in 1753.
c) Inventor of the “binomial system” of plant classification.
3) Charles Darwin
a) English scientist.
b) Published Origin of the Species in 1859.
c) Founded the theory of evolution.
4) Gregor Mendel circa 1868
a) Austrian monk.
b) Cross-pollinated peas in his garden.
c) Is considered the “father of genetics”.
page 2
Pure Sciences:
 Examples include; Chemistry, Biology, Botany, Physics,
Mathematics, etc.
 Study the discipline for the purpose of increasing knowledge.
 Applications are not that important to the pure scientist.
Applied Sciences:
 Take the knowledge of pure science and apply it towards the
production of useful products and services.
 Chemistry vs. Chemical Engineering
Botany vs. Horticulture (Applied Botany)
Biology vs. Veterinary Technology
 What are some of the products and services that Horticulture
supplies to the world?
Agriculture defined: an applied botanical science concerned with the
production of useful plant products.
Horticulture is considered a branch of Agriculture. Agriculture is
defined above and includes 3 main branches:
1) Forestry
2) Agronomy
3) Horticulture
Horticulture gets it’s name from the Latin words hortus, meaning
garden and cultura, meaning cultivation.
page 3
Branches of Botany
Plant Taxonomy: study of plant classification.
Plant Anatomy: study of the internal structures of plants.
Plant Morphology: study of plant form; what the outside of the plant
looks like.
Plant Physiology: study of the biochemical processes going on inside the
plant.
Plant Genetics: study of the mechanisms of inheritance.
Plant Cytology: study of cells and cell structure.
Plant Ecology: study of the relationships between plants and their
environment.
Plant Pathology: study of plant diseases.
Paleobotany: study of plant fossils.
page 4
Branches of Horticulture
Olericulture: study of vegetables.
Pomology: study of edible fruit and nut bearing plants.
Viticulture: study of grapes and other edible fruits with a vine like
growth habit.
Floriculture: study of flowers.
Greenhouse Management: management of plants grown inside
greenhouses.
Turfgrass Management: management of turf (grass).
Nursery Management: management of ornamental nursery stock grown
in a nursery.
Arboriculture: care and maintenance of trees.
Landscaping: design and installation of ornamental plants and
associated structures.
Interiorscaping: care and maintenance of plants in indoor
environments.
H:\DATA\PSALADI\Class Folders\HortBotany\HortBot_Curr\HortBot_lesson plan1.doc